Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob lodged a police report today against the allegations that he had abused his powers in the approval of a multi-million timber concession to the state Umno in 2000.

Kuantan OCPD Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted in a Bernama report as confirming that the report was lodged at the Kuantan police headquarters.

He added that the report would be investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation.

Adnan was also quoted in the same report as saying that the move was to prevent the opposition from confusing the people.

"I have to lodge this report because the opposition is playing up the issue everyday. If it is allowed to go on, I think the people will start believing all the lies," he said.

Adnan, who is also the Pahang Umno state chief announced his decision to lodge the police report yesterday. He said he had "no choice" but to do so following allegations made by opposition members in malaysiakini

.

He was also quoted in a New Straits Times report today as explaining that he could not approve the logging concessions in his capacity as a menteri besar under the law since the concession could only be given by the state forestry department after consent is obtained from the state executive council.

Responding to Umno's alleged involvement, he said the government was allowed to give concessions to organisations. He claimed that governments in the opposition-led states did the same.

Commenting on the issue last July, former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that state land cannot be given to a political party but only to a private company.

Reports lodged to ACA

DAP national publicity chief Ronnie Liu and PAS state assemblyperson for Kuala Pahang, Mohd Iqbal Hamdy Mohd Rusdi had respectively lodged two reports, in July and August last year, to the Anti-Corruption Agency.

Liu had called for a press conference last week based on the latest police report by logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur (SGM) while PAS member of Parliament for Kubang Kerian Husam Musa (photo) had also spoken out on the issue last September.

Contacted today, the two PAS leaders said Adnan's police report and threat of defamation against them "will not be able to conceal the truth."

"It is Umno people who like to play with issues, not PAS and DAP. We didn't create the issue which is fact. But Adnan has his right to lodge the police report," Mohd Iqbal told malaysiakini .

"As the head of a state government, the mentri besar should be transparent and just tell the truth. There is no need to rush to the police," Husam said, adding that the relevant documents should be released for public scrutiny.

Liu said he will hold a press conference tomorrow to comment on Adnan's move.

Documents seized

The ACA has started the probe last month when they seized several sets of documents from SGM office.

In a deal signed in 2000, Umno Pahang gave SGM an exclusive right to fell, extract and sell the logs in the huge tract of 10,000-acre land near Pekan, Nenasi - although the land technically still belongs to the state government.

Adnan earlier had denied his knowledge on the botched deal as he said the land was awarded to Umno Pahang in 1998 during his predecessor Khalil Yaacob's tenure.

However, SGM has rebutted this in the company's latest police report last week where they said the permit issued by the state forestry department to allow the company to log on the land needed the consent from Adnan first.